Alpacas, off-roading, mazes… there’s never a dull moment in the Dales, says Fiona Whitty
IT’s said there are six times more sheep than people in the Yorkshire Dales – and now there are some quirky new kids on the block too.
Six friendly alpacas are causing quite a stir on their walks out with animal-mad owner Jackie Masterman and her visitors.
Pre-latest lockdown I took my husband Tim and our children Freddie, 12, Rosie, 15, Max, 17, and Harvey, 19, to meet Jackie for one of her Semerwater Alpaca Ambles. (Adult £20, adult plus child £25, semerwateralpaca ambles.co.uk)
After falling in love with alpacas at a local country show, Jackie bought her own in March 2019. She’s now a doting “mum” to Rio, aged 21, Jeffrey and Jester, both 12, Mr Darcy, seven, and three-year-old Henry and Harrison.
Alpacas are similar to llamas – both are part of the camelid family, which includes camels – but smaller. With their big bold eyes and thick lashes they were certainly a lovable bunch and warmed to us when we stroked their necks.
Our amble took us along a quiet country lane, across a field and down to Lake Semerwater, drawing surprised looks from fishermen and passing motorists.
Walking alpacas is more offbeat than taking the dog out and less precarious than leading a horse. As we fed them their nuggets afterwards Rosie quipped that she’d found her ideal birthday present.
Not sure I’m ready for that yet… although I can certainly see the attraction.
It’s clear why Yorkshire’s beautiful landscape and rural charm earn it the nickname God’s Own County and the perfect way to enjoy it is from the cycle saddle. We ventured over to the Dales Bike Centre in Fremington, where owners Stu and Brenda Price have the area’s largest bicycle stock. Stu recommended we try the Swale Trail, which starts in nearby Reeth and is an easy-going, mainly off-road mountain bike track alongside the River Swale.
Tim, Rosie and I took the cheat’s way out with electric bikes – mountain bikes with the option of extra oomph when needed. Around 50% of customers now use them, opening up cycling to a new fanbase of families or novices.
Children have to be over 14 for e-bikes so Freddie stuck with a basic mountain bike while big brother Max joined him for moral support. (Mountain bike hire £30/ day, e-bike hire £50/day. Half days available. dalesbikecentre.co.uk)
The Swale Trail is well signposted and gave us a fabulous taste of the area, taking us across sheep fields, along rocky tracks and through woods. We pedalled to the village of Gunnerside and back, a 15-mile trip. The scenery was pinch-yourself gorgeous.
Our home for five blissful days was a lovely old stone farmhouse called Thorns on the edge of Hawes, Yorkshire’s highest market town.
It was the perfect base for a large family – loads of space with three big bedrooms, three bathrooms, a comfy living room with two sofas and a dining room with an enormous table.
An open fire added to the homeliness – we were left plenty of wood too – and the washer-dryer and dishwasher made light work of the inevitable holiday chores.
The views over Wensleydale’s lush countryside topped it – we loved watching sheep grazing and pheasants sparring.
We’d booked through holiday lettings company Original Cottages who pledge to provide refunds or change dates if you can’t travel due to Covid restrictions.
Handily, Thorns was just a 10-minute walk from pretty Hawes, home to the Wensleydale Creamery.
Cheese has been made here for
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Cycling along the Swale Trail gave us a fabulous taste of the area